1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ethers of polyalkyl or polyalkenyl N-hydroxyalkyl succinimides and derivatives thereof. In a further aspect, this invention relates to the use of these compounds in fuel compositions to prevent and control engine deposits.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that automobile engines tend to form deposits on the surface of engine components, such as carburetor ports, throttle bodies, fuel injectors, intake ports and intake valves, due to the oxidation and polymerization of hydrocarbon fuel. These deposits, even when present in relatively minor amounts, often cause noticeable driveability problems, such as stalling and poor acceleration. Moreover, engine deposits can significantly increase an automobile's fuel consumption and production of exhaust pollutants. Therefore, the development of effective fuel detergents or "deposit control" additives to prevent or control such deposits is of considerable importance and numerous such materials are known in the art.
For example, aliphatic hydrocarbon-substituted succinimides are known to reduce engine deposits when used in fuel compositions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,309, issued Feb. 28, 1995 to R. E. Cherpeck, discloses a fuel additive composition comprising (a) a polyisobutenyl succinimide derived from ethylenediamine or diethylenetriamine, wherein the polyisobutenyl group has an average molecular weight of about 1200 to 1500 and (b) a nonvolatile paraffinic or naphthenic carrier oil, or a mixture thereof.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,486, issued Apr. 15, 1997 to R. E. Cherpeck, discloses fuel compositions containing hydrocarbyl-substituted N-aryl succinimides wherein the nitrogen atom on the succinimide is substituted with a phenyl ring having one or two substituents selected from hydroxy, carboxyl, nitro, amino and alkylamino.
N-Hydroxyalkyl succinimides are also known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,144, issued Jul. 23, 1968 to Giles et al., discloses N-2-hydroxyethyl succinimide and N-3-hydroxypropyl succinimide, which are useful as intermediates in the preparation of substituted anthraquinone dyes for hydrophobic textile materials.
In addition, U.S.S.R. Patent No. 241,417, published Apr. 18, 1969, discloses beta-succinimidoethyl esters of aryloxyalkanecarboxylic acids, which are prepared by reacting beta-succinimidoethanol with aryloxyalkylcarboxylic acids.